Ducey is seeking a permanent 15% raise for state troopers, 20% for juvenile and adult corrections employees and pay boosts for several other agencies that total nearly $250 million a year. Pass it along to the KTAR News team here. The two-term governor, who leaves office in about six months, has made border security a goal throughout his tenure. She says one day, federal money will run out, so states need to start thinking long-term. Republicans are widely expected to expand their majority in the 2022 election thanks to new district boundaries that appear to favor the GOP. In addition, full-time workers would receive a $2,500 bonus in mid-May and another $1,000 bonus in mid-July. He pointed to officer pay in Texas and California, where rookie California Highway Patrol officers start at $93,000 a year. Doug Ducey is expected to sign the $18 billion budget approved by the Legislature this week. "Arizona came in second to last. Web2022 Top Companies; Morning Scoop. WebThe Arizona State Retirement System Board of Trustees announced Friday, November 12, 2021 that qualified retirees will receive a Permanent Benefit Increase (PBI) to their monthly annuities, beginning with their July 2022 benefit check. TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - On Friday, Jan. 15, Arizona Gov. Senate Bill 531 applies to teachers, school counselors, school service personnel and State Troopers. All rights reserved. The budget did include bipartisan measures for criminal justice reform, such as a revived measure that will create a new division within the Department of Public Safety to investigate use-of-force incidents and criminal misconduct by police officers. With this budget, were putting those dollars to good use and investing in priorities that Republicans and Democrats alike can agree on.. The Senate gave final approval Friday to a four-year package of raises for state employees that includes $3,500 in bonuses to help stem a surge in worker retirements. This is really just getting on a soap box and vilifying immigrants and creating a political point, Quezada said. These class-specific raises are in addition to the 3.25% raise and lump-sum payments and will also go into effect July 1, 2022 and be reflected on the July 25 paycheck. The six new judges will cost the state $4.5 million a year, but about half that in the upcoming year because terms begin in January 2023, according a budget summary from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Republican leaders had struggled for months to craft a spending plan that could find unanimous support in the fractious GOP caucuses without relying on Democrats. Both measures will allow laid-off workers to take on more part-time work. The merit raises are separate from cost of living increases sometimes approved by the Legislature. "So acknowledging the importance of these positions at this time where staffing is such a big issue across the board, we thought this was a good thing to do.". The Associated Press learned of the moneys use when an updated report on the governors use of virus relief funds was posted by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, which provides non-partisan analysis of state finances to lawmakers. 2021. Web2022 Top Companies; Morning Scoop. As part of House Bill 1, also known as the executive branch budget, state employees will receive an 8% across-the-board raise in the next fiscal year. Public education gets a $1 billion increase, which could translate into higher teacher pay, physical improvements for crumbling school buildings and put more police officers in schools. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. After losing support on the right, House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Senate President Karen Fann had to look elsewhere for votes, and they found them across the aisle. May 6, 2022 Updated May 7, 2022. We are overpaying. In the House of Representatives, most of the budget bills garnered at least 40 votes in the 60-member chamber. Sen. Cathy Osten defending the SEBAC deal. Hundreds of millions are set aside for water infrastructure as the state faces prolonged drought. Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.comor 480-416-5669. State employees have stepped up and answered the call of Connecticut holds $3.1 billion in its rainy day fund, equal to 15% of annual operating costs the maximum allowed by law. It also calls for an increase to employer premiums - $160 per employee a year to $186 per employee a year. WebRaise Corporate STO Cap by $2 M; Increase Individual STO cap by $250/$500 in FY 24 (2.0) (11.9) (13.0) 10 Expand Vets Property Tax Exemption to all Disability Levels (Savings in '24) (Separate Bill) Yes - see ADE Yes - see ADE Yes - see ADE 11: Eliminate State Equalization Tax Rate see ADE see ADE see ADE Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, INTERACTIVE RADAR: Tracking winter storm in Arizona, HIRING: Find companies that need workers in AZ, FAQ: Business resources for Arizona residents. WebFY 2022 Appropriations Report - General Fund Salary Adjustments for State Employees Since FY 2012 and Salary Adjustments for Elected Officials Created Date 8/4/2021 4:55:37 PM I believe this is the best Democratic, bloated-full-of-pork budget that our money could have ever paid for, Rep. John Fillmore, R-Apache Junction, said in the early hours Thursday as he voted against the budget. Every single budget's bad, Gray said. It also eliminates the state equalization tax, a property tax for education, and backfills it with $330 million from the general fund. PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Gov. Its also done with the best financial interests of the state at heart.. And it puts another $425 million in the rainy day fund to help the state weather a potential recession. After losing support on the right, House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Senate President Karen Fann had to look elsewhere for votes, and they found them across the aisle. Only a handful of dissenters from each party voted against the package of bills, and Republican Gov. The bonuses, the GOP argued, are hardly the key to retaining workers, as the governor and other Democrats claim. But for Democrats, this may have been the last chance for the foreseeable future to make an imprint on the state budget. Tiny majorities in both chambers meant opposition from a single Republican lawmaker was enough to sink the budget if Democrats were united in opposition. May 4, 2022. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Likely there will be some sort of compromise concerning the two state bills. Certain occupations, such as corrections officers, Department of Child Safety case workers and highway patrol officers will get more on top of that. Get CT Mirror briefings with enterprise reporting, investigations and more in your inbox daily. Keith has spent most of his 31 years as a reporter specializing in state government finances, analyzing such topics as income tax equity, waste in government and the complex funding systems behind Connecticuts transportation and social services networks. Their agreement adds $80 million in combined additional funding for Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University, bringing their funding boosts in line with additional money already allocated to University of Arizona. Please reload the page and try again. Additionally, the States workforce has declined by more than 1,500 employees in the last two years. That view was not shared by some of her Democratic colleagues. The budget is not sound and its not reflective of my conservative values, Ugenti-Rita said. Lawmakers in the House and Senate ended a months-long impasse, working through the night to approve the budget shortly before sunrise. The budget also includes nearly $1 billion that is earmarked for transportation projects across the state, particularly in rural Arizona. 2305. More than just prices:Theadditional inflation effects you should know. And the minority party convinced Republicans to strip an expansion of the states school tuition organization program out of the budget. Republican leaders had struggled for months to craft a spending plan that could find unanimous support in the fractious GOP caucuses without relying on Democrats. State law gives the board the autonomy to change employee classifications and pay plans. She said agencies dont have to increase employees pay if it would be a financial burden to the office. State employees will get a raise, many for the first time in a decade. Lawmakers also agreed to technical changes in a formula for distributing money to schools and $4 million each for school testing and 2022 election costs. Arizona state officials gave pay raises to 169 government workers without getting the required approval from the Department of Karamargin, Duceys spokesman, said there is increasing competitiveness in all sorts of jobs. Connecticut is facing pressure from the private sector, municipalities and other states for its workers, Osten said, adding that the pandemic has made many state jobs less attractive. Arizona Mirror is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The agreements, which unions ratified earlier this spring, are retroactive to the start of this fiscal year, which began last July 1. "However, the opportunity to truly invest in our public education and secure a brighter future for Arizona students cannot be overlooked. Expanding the court will give RepublicanGov. The budget also makes a $1.1 billion deposit into the pension fund for public safety and corrections officers, paying off the states unfunded liability for future retirement benefits. GOP leaders decided to just take the easy road out, the path of least resistance and give up and just spend, said Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, a Scottsdale Republican who voted against the budget. May 6, 2022 Updated May 7, 2022. Not everyone was happy with the plan to spend most of the state's surplus, as conservatives balked at the spending and called the budget bloated and more befitting of a Democratic product. GOP and Democratic leaders agreed to add $526 million in new ongoing funding for K-12 schools, a substantial increase from the GOPs initial proposal. As part of House Bill 1, also known as the executive branch budget, state employees will receive an 8% across-the-board raise in the next fiscal year. "Frankly, a majority of this budget does not align with the priorities of Democrats," Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix, said in a statement. Deputy Chief Investment Officer. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics. The added funding includes phasing in funding for low-income students starting at $50 million in the upcoming fiscal year and growing to $100 million in three years and special education. The package of budget bills passed with overwhelming support, highly unusual in the modern era. The agreement would cost the state nearly $1.9 billion over four fiscal years, according to nonpartisan fiscal analysts. Average annual pay before overtime for non-supervisors is just over $70,000. Two Arizona state senators announced Tuesday they would be stepping down from Democratic leadership roles, citing different reasons. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror. Osten said the raises reflect the valuable work state employees provide daily, and particularly throughout the coronavirus pandemic. A virtual reality experience is launching in Phoenix, allowing visitors to submerge themselves in history while touring the Anne Frank House. Tiny majorities in both chambers meant opposition from a single Republican lawmaker was enough to sink the budget if Democrats were united in opposition. December 9, 2014 Leave a comment. "Are we having trouble hiring Supreme Court justices and needing to increase their salary for some reason?" It would raise payments from $240 to $320, with a second increase to $400 when the state's unemployment fund is back to its normal level. KTARs Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives. WebDeputy Chief Investment Officer. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy. Sen. Martin Quezada, a Glendale Democrat, spoke out against plans to spend $335 million for a wall on the southern border, which he said would be useless in stopping people from crossing. State workers get a 10% pay raise, the first across-the-board pay hike in more than a decade. The merit raises are separate from cost of living increases sometimes approved by the Legislature. It also eliminates the state equalization tax, a property tax for education, and backfills it with $330 million from the general fund. Duceys budget director, Matt Gress, informed the Republican Senate president and House speaker of his decision to tap the funds for premium pay in a Dec. 9 letter. 2023 The Conneticut News Project. Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range, the Senate General Fund budget committee chairman, said he wasnt aware of the increases until after their approval. The improbable bipartisanship was enabled by an unprecedented surplus topping $5 billion, allowing for a broad array of new spending and savings. Arizona Department of Administration. "So yeah, well deserved and hopefully it does what the intent was, to try to stop the high number of regrettable attrition that we have, increased retirement, guys going out earlier than they probably would have.". The budget also makes a $1.1 billion deposit into the pension fund for public safety and corrections officers, paying off the states unfunded liability for future retirement benefits. That includes $544 million for border security, roughly half of it for a wall, and $1 billion for highway construction, including widening Interstate 10 north of Casa Grande. WebHeres an example of the formula to be used for a qualified retiree with 20 years of service at the time of retirement: $11.49 X 20 years of service = $229.80 annual PBI, divided by 12 months = $19.15 increase to monthly benefit payment. The bipartisanship extended to opposition a handful of conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats voted against the budget deal. Over the last eight years, Arizona has made responsible decisions to live within our means, reduce burdensome government regulations and increase trust in our citizens and the result is a booming economy with record revenues. State lawmakers worked overnight and passed a $15.6 billion budget in the early morning hours of June 23. One of the most exciting elements of the MLB offseason is the Arizona Fall League, which began its 30th season Monday. That includes $544 million for border security, roughly half of it for a wall, and $1 billion for highway construction, including widening Interstate 10 north of Casa Grande. $225,000.05. SB 1411 was introduced by Republican State Senator Karen Fann. It was not a great situation," said Lisa Rowan, a consumer finance reporter with Forbes Advisor. Doug Ducey, who appoints judges, a chance to further shape a conservative bench just ahead of his departure from office. Doug Ducey quietly tapped $95 million in federal coronavirus relief money in November to boost pay for state troopers, prison guards and workers in several other state departments deemed essential. That will save property owners a collective $300 million. Bipartisan budget boosts school funding, state employee pay raises, transportation. Support local journalism. Each year includes a 2.5% general wage increase, as well as a step hike for all but the most senior workers. Its excessive.. May 4, 2022. Their agreement adds $80 million in combined additional funding for Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University, bringing their funding boosts in line with additional money already allocated to University of Arizona. Arizona state officials gave pay raises to 169 government workers without getting the required approval from the Department of In a time of intense partisan divisions see recent debates over school curriculum, transgender rights, abortion Republican leaders reached across the aisle to get the state's spending plan across the finish line when their own members objected. On Friday, she said its the boards hope that the step increases assistrecruitment and retention efforts. By: Jim Small and Jerod MacDonald-Evoy - June 23, 2022 5:24 am. Kay Ivey approved of the step changes prior to the boards decision. There's another $1 billion dedicated to 53road projects, from a sound wall along the Loop 101 near 16th Streetin north Phoenix to an interchange where Loop 303 meets Interstate 17 to roundabout improvements in Prescott Valley. For 2023, lawmakers approved a 4% raise for state employees. The Legislature plans to return Thursday afternoon to take up legislation directing how the new water cash will be spent and other remaining bills, with an eye to adjourning for the year once those are completed. Instead of one rate for district schools and a higher rate for charter schools, the money will instead be distributed per student at identical rates. Arizona state officials gave pay raises to 169 government workers without getting the required approval from the Department of "It really was just a stopgap to start trying to stop people from leaving because all the agencies around us have received considerable pay raises and we were still so far behind," Hawkins said. And it puts another $425 million in the rainy day fund to help the state weather a potential recession. Republicans last year cut $1.7 billion in income taxes. That is one provision I am glad to see in here, Rep. Reginald Bolding, D-Phoenix, remarked, adding that Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers, R-Mesa, had been instrumental in getting the measure, which will allow agencies to request DPS to conduct independent investigations, into the criminal justice portion of the state budget. WebRaise Corporate STO Cap by $2 M; Increase Individual STO cap by $250/$500 in FY 24 (2.0) (11.9) (13.0) 10 Expand Vets Property Tax Exemption to all Disability Levels (Savings in '24) (Separate Bill) Yes - see ADE Yes - see ADE Yes - see ADE 11: Eliminate State Equalization Tax Rate see ADE see ADE see ADE 2021. She says Arizona normally offers 26 weeks of payments; about the same as other states. The budget is not sound and its not reflective of my conservative values, Ugenti-Rita said. 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